Little Bee (aka The Other Hand in non-US markets) by Chris Cleave is a 2008 novel that is being adapted for stage by Book-It Repertory Theatre. I'm the dramaturg for the production, which I'm super, super psyched about -- in my internship interview I expressed an interest in learning more about their adaptation process, and they put me on a world premiere, and I'm meeting with the director/playwright today to talk about the project.

It's heavy material, and I'm about to talk about the research I'm doing, and probably will talk about it more in coming months -- here, mostly, I think, rather than on Tumblr or Facebook, because some of the social issues are hot button and a lot of the content is very upsetting. Below the cut is discussion of the preliminary research on immigration I'm doing today that's making me really angry. (Also talk of violence and suicide.)

I mean fucking hell, man. I'm not even close to qualified to help with most of the stuff NWIRP needs -- legal aid, translation services -- but I can get mad as hell and yell about it and do art about it, and I guess that counts for something.

Ended my 13 day work week with an eight-hour day that started with a mile-long walk over a very steep hill at 7:30, then had me hauling 40-pound containers and maneuvering a 400-pound trailer singlehandedly, then sold over a hundred pies etc, hauled 40-pound containers and the 400-pound trailer again, drove through awful traffic because of the summer solstice celebrations, hauled the trailer again, hauled sodas, walked uphill to the bus stop, got home, made the mistake of sitting down after taking a much-needed shower.

I am going to sit and be very quiet for a bit, go put in an appearance at my sister's birthday party, and then come home and do as little as possible until Monday morning.

I told myself I was going to stop stalking through the links pointing to my Crypticon post because I was getting stressed out about it, but finding people quoting the passages I'm most proud of is pretty satisfying.

But I'm going to stop stalking now, for real, because it does stress me out.

Hello the Internet! I am very very tired; it took me a long time to get sleepy last night, for some reason. I had several vivid and somewhat cathartic dreams this morning, one about an animated movie being made about an Alaska Native girl that moved me to tears, and one in which I was talking about the idea of a website called Anchorpoint or Anchor Point (which is a town in Alaska -- I must be homesick). The general idea seemed to be a website where people could collect positive experiences and happy thoughts or pictures to revisit when their moods swung down.

I am generally feeling very positive about this summer in general, but it's been a weird, long, intensely busy week, with plenty of good personally but some real bad locally and the usual stressors globally.

To stay on a positive note, though, tomorrow I'm selling pies at a D-Day event, and then going to a live zom-rom-com, and then on Sunday is the FIVE-HOUR-LONG live adaptation of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay at Book-It and I'm so freaking excited. I gotta track down that commentary about Captain America and K&C that was going around and read it before Sunday.

The middle of Oregon is remarkably similar to the Meseta in Spain, only with more Christian talk radio. At one point I tuned into a guy who sounded a lot like the Wizard People guy very slowly explaining the mystery of the Trinity. I actually listened to him for a while out of sheer disbelief. Ditto the DJs saying Donald Sterling is being unfairly "prosecuted" by his "gold-digging" mistress. Southern Oregon is prettier and more mountainous, though not much better on radio stations. I saw three rainbows!

And my interview went well, I think! I'll hear back by next week.

I'm very tired and have to drive to San Francisco tomorrow. If I get on the road early I might be able to take 101 for some of the drive through CA, which would be nice. I am looking forward to listening to American Gods. I . . . yeah, that's all I got. Good night, Dreamwidth.

Today I got to run the grill on one of my trucks by myself, multiple times, making tacos and cheesesteaks and sandwiches, and I felt awesome.

I keep thinking about bragging material for this upcoming party in LA, and I'm like Well, I can't say that I'm writing a fic that has cause an enormous splash in a tiny fandom and is deeply emotionally satisfying. I still haven't resubmitted my short story anywhere, which I keep meaning to do just so I can say "Well, I just submitted a short story and I'm waiting to hear back" to people.

But I can say I have an interview with a cool theatre company on May 5, and when I get to LA I can say I drove down here all by myself. And for me, the fact that I was turning out good cheesesteaks by the end of the day -- the fact that my boss felt confident enough in my ability to run things that he left the truck for extended periods of time -- that's brag-worthy. I can cook food, guys! I can cook food I don't even eat!

I mean, really what I'm saying is "I can learn things!", I guess, but there's something so satisfying about that. (Same way "I served a customer using ASL on Friday" is not exactly a bragging thing for a class reunion, but it was one of the best things that happened to me yesterday on a day that was already pretty great.)

So on May 5, I'm interviewing for an internship with Book-It Repertory Theatre (eep, guys, they're so cool!), and then leaving straight from there to get on the road to drive to LA.

This is my first time doing a solo road trip! I'm super jazzed! I'm also SUPER paranoid and a little terrified, so in the spirit of preparedness I'm putting my general itinerary up here.

May 5: Leave Seattle around 12PM, arrive in Ashland, OR around 9/10PMMay 6: Leave Ashland around 8/9AM, arrive in Santa Cruz, CA around 5PMMay 7: Leave Santa Cruz around 8/9AM, arrive in LA around 3PMMay 8/9: Hanging in LAMay 10: Leave LA around 7:30/8AM, arrive in Ashland around 9PMMay 11: Leave Ashland around 9AM, arrive in Seattle around 7PM

I'll be checking in regularly on Facebook and probably Tumblr and Twitter while I'm on the road, to reassure everyone that I have not died and also maintain my own sanity. I anticipate a lot of coffee and a fair number of power naps. And I have got to get my hands on some new listening material -- I'm at this weird place where almost all of my music is either boring me or pinging on memories and associations I don't like, plus I'd like some stuff to listen to that's not music to keep my brain engaged. (Recommendations welcomed! Anyone have favorite podfics? Audiobooks? I'm working on acquiring American Gods, which seems like good road-tripping fiction.)

Agh, I rarely get cramps worth mentioning, so when I do get them -- even mild ones -- I am ill-equipped to deal with them. Especially when I'm at work. How about I just open the back doors and customers can come help themselves to pies instead of making me move from my carefully calculated comfortable position?

And naturally this coincides with the water heater on the truck misbehaving yet again. You're on notice, Monday.

I draw y'all's attention to the PigPen tour in particular, because I know for certain that their style of music would appeal to many of you, and they're hitting most every part of the country in the next six weeks, so you will never have a better chance to see them. (They covered "The Weight," guys, something I had been thinking about suggesting to them just a month ago, and it was SO GOOD, I am so happy about everything)